Acoustician in NE (Philadelphia area)

Maril555 · Apr 10, 2016

Hello,
We are buying a new house and I will need an acoustician to design a listening room for me
My current room had been designed by Rives, who unfortunately is no longer in business.
I would prefer someone local, so they could do on-site measurements, etc., but in the end, it's not essential.
Please, all suggestions are welcome, and if you could share your experience with the suggested company/person, it would be a great benefit
Thank you in advance

Steve Williams · Apr 10, 2016

I live in Southern California and my acoustician is in NYC. She made 4 on site visits with measurements taken on each Ron Resnick has also hired her and he lives in Los Angeles and Bob Vin who lives in Oregon has also hired her. You can contact me or them for info if you're interested.

LenWhite · Apr 10, 2016

This thread contains informatin relative to your request: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...bsorption-vs-Transmission&p=388135#post388135

Acoustic Frontiers also offers room measurement analysis. They'll send you the equipment needed, you send back the equipment and recorded measurements, and they do the analysis and send you a report and recommendations.

Maril555 · Apr 10, 2016

Steve Williams said:
I live in Southern California and my acoustician is in NYC. She made 4 on site visits with measurements taken on each Ron Resnick has also hired her and he lives in Los Angeles and Bob Vin who lives in Oregon has also hired her. You can contact me or them for info if you're interested.

Thank you Steve,
Yes, sure, I'd like to have her contact info

Fitzcaraldo215 · Apr 10, 2016

LenWhite said:
This thread contains informatin relative to your request: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...bsorption-vs-Transmission&p=388135#post388135

Acoustic Frontiers also offers room measurement analysis. They'll send you the equipment needed, you send back the equipment and recorded measurements, and they do the analysis and send you a report and recommendations.

If I had my druthers, I would strongly prefer an acoustician who actually shows up at the site, does the measurements, and closely supervises the treatment installation. I think they would be more involved and more accountable for the results that way. It might cost more in travel time for several visits, etc. And, if they do not actually listen to the results, your furnishings and all, what do you really have?

But, there is a whole lot of documentation that must go back and forth so that they can stay at home with their feet up on the desk. And, that documentation is mostly on you. They can always point the finger at you if it does not achieve your sonic goals. Is that documentation sufficient? Is it accurate? Does that truly tell them everything they need to know? How much better is this really than total DIY treatment with your own REW measurements or with DSP Room EQ?

I would just not trust an acoustician who tries to sell the hands off, no show approach. I think they are oversimplifying the problem. That may have been one of the things that brought Rives down, as they attempted to do a lot of that. Some have sung their praises, but others have not, from what I see.

I think room acoustics is a very complex subject. I think it needs direct immersion in the project, not dispassionate, God-like pronouncements from afar.

audioquad · Apr 10, 2016

Maril555 said:
Hello,
We are buying a new house and I will need an acoustician to design a listening room for me
My current room had been designed by Rives, who unfortunately is no longer in business.
I would prefer someone local, so they could do on-site measurements, etc., but in the end,p it's not essential.
Please, all suggestions are welcome, and if you could share your experience with the suggested company/person, it would be a great benefiting
Thank you in advance

I have a fantastic guy who designed my room and he is local. His company is Synergy Audio and Video in Coatesville PA. The website is www.Synergy-AudioVideo.com. At the bottom of the page there is a link that says 2 channel stereo,click on that and you will see my room. I would highly recommend you give him a call and perhaps you can meet at my place to hear his results.

FWIW. He is a member of the Philadelphia Area Audio Group and has calibrated numerous members systems who had used Rives and a GBS author. He achieved much better results.

Asamel · Apr 11, 2016

I was going to suggest that same guy!

amirm · Apr 11, 2016

If you have a healthy budget

, I recommend Keith Yates: http://keithyates.com/

Tell Keith I sent you and they may give you a free cup of coffee.

Keith will be able to do real simulations of your room such as what he did for us to impression your friends:

Dr. Bonnie Schnitta who Steve used is also a personal friend and most delightful person to work with. Here is her web site: http://www.soundsense.com/about/meet-the-team/bonnie-schnitta/

And of course there are our own WBF members such as Nyal, Jim Smith, etc.

Jim Smith · Apr 12, 2016

amirm said:
And of course there are our own WBF members such as Nyal, Jim Smith, etc.

Thanks for the mention, Amir.

However, I am not an acoustician.

I voice systems in existing rooms, and make acoustic suggestions as needed when on site.

Nyal Mellor · Apr 13, 2016

LenWhite said:
This thread contains informatin relative to your request: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...bsorption-vs-Transmission&p=388135#post388135

Acoustic Frontiers also offers room measurement analysis. They'll send you the equipment needed, you send back the equipment and recorded measurements, and they do the analysis and send you a report and recommendations.

Thanks Len. The Room Acoustic Analysis service (room measurement) is after you've built the room. For new build rooms the process is something like: dimensional optimization, low frequency optimization (speaker / listener position optimization, multi-sub array positioning), sound isolation (if required), electrical, HVAC, acoustic treatment design.

caesar · Apr 13, 2016

Gentlemen,

How can one tell if a room is going to sound good ahead of time? In the ideal world, is the way to do it is to have all the acousticians build the room they think, and then break down the rooms one does not like? Or at least commission designs from all and choose the best design, assuming one knows how to tell them apart?

Maril555 · Apr 14, 2016

That's an excellent question, but I'm afraid, nobody knows an answer to.
The risk is very significant (as can be attested to by the guys having to have the room redone after
spending a small fortune on design and construction), and unlike purchasing an expensive component,
where you always have an option of reselling it in case it doesn't suit you.
One can't resell the bad design, can he?
I was fortunate to have my existing room designed by Rives Audio, and it works

LenWhite · Apr 14, 2016

caesar said:
Gentlemen,

How can one tell if a room is going to sound good ahead of time? In the ideal world, is the way to do it is to have all the acousticians build the room they think, and then break down the rooms one does not like? Or at least commission designs from all and choose the best design, assuming one knows how to tell them apart?

Within the confines of my planned house addition, Nyal helped me decide the media room physical dimensions (H/W/L) based on coincident modes; he also specified the "floating wall system" that functions as a bass trap. So there are things that can be done in the room design phase to promote a good sounding room.

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Acoustician in NE (Philadelphia area)

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audioquad

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